Discuss farmers' problems instead of Togadia: Deve Gowda

Former prime minister H D Deve Gowda said, instead of wasting time by holding discussions on Vishwa Hindu Parishat working president Praveen Togadia during the ongoing legislature session, legislators should take up the cause of farmers and common people.

He was speaking to media persons, at Maddur, Mandya district, on Thursday, after offering obeisance at Madduramma temple. Stating that it was improper for him to comment on the ban on Togadia’s entry into Karnataka, he said, the issue was before the court.

However, he said that it was not proper to debate the matter in the House and waste the session’s precious time. He said that he was not aware of any similar instance in the country, where an individual has been banned by any State.

When his attention was drawn towards the rumours that the JD(S) office will be housed in the building of the Vokkaligara Sangha in Bengaluru, Gowda said, he has not applied for space for his office at the Sangha.

“Some persons in the Sangha have discussed the issue and have suggested that the JD(S) can be given space in its building. At present, such discussions are irrelevant. The Sangha’s activities have become stagnant. Let it first concentrate on taking up pro-people activities,” he said.

Declining to comment on the absence of MLAs during the JD(S) workers convention, he said, he had invited them all, by personally writing letters.

“If either me or H D Kumaraswamy have committed mistakes, it has to be discussed at the party’s forum and steps should be taken to strengthen the party,” he said.